September 05, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s leading airline, Air Peace, has signed a sponsorship agreement with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) recently at the Marriott International Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
With the successful signing of the agreement, Air Peace is now the official airline sponsor of the country’s national football teams. The sponsorship agreement, which is for a period of four years, THEWILL gathered, is renewable every year.
Speaking at the unveiling of Air Peace as the exclusive airline sponsor of the national football teams under the auspices of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) in Lagos, the President of NFF, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, said the “initial agreement” is worth N300 million with additional benefits to the country’s national teams.
Pinnick, who was accompanied to the signing ceremony by Super Eagles stars, Alex Iwobi, Tyron Ebuehi, Oghenekaro Etebo and Joe Aribo, said the partnership deal was timely as Nigerian players will fly to the Cape Verde match onboard the airline’s brand new Embraer E195 aircraft.
The NFF President said, “We are happy because Air Peace epitomises unity, warmth, humanity and nationality. Air Peace is all about 100 per cent safety. We have been approached by many international airlines, but we believe in this brand that is now established. What we have signed and what we have, we will protect it and we will manage it. Our adream has always been to be fully independent. With this and other signings we will get there.”
In his response, the Chairman of Air Peace, Barrister Allen Onyema, said it had always been his aspiration to contribute and support national aspirations like the Super Eagles and other national football teams.
Onyema said, “We are investing so much in this sponsorship and partnership in these austere times because we want to restore hope to the country. We believe in Nigeria and the Nigerian project. People are losing hope in the country. But I believe in the greatness of the country. Nigeria is the envy of other nations and I believe we can all contribute in our different ways to make it great. The Super Eagles are the symbol of our unity. When they are playing, we forget our differences and cheer them as one. We forget where we come from; whether we are Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Ijaw, kanuri, etc, becomes secondary.”
He therefore tasked the Super Eagle to keep the Nigerian dream alive and hope in the country by “going to Cape Verde and trouncing them and eventually qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar”.
Sports lovers and many Nigerians have applauded the Air Peace gesture, describing the agreement as timely as it is coming ahead of Nigeria’s World Cup qualifiers against Liberia, Cape Verde and Central African Republic.
In the same vein, Air Peace will be flying the Nigerian men’s national football team to Cape Verde for their second fixture of the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers on September 7.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Government has joined the league of state governments that have Air Peace in their good books. Recently, the Obiano led government applauded the airline for its no-city-left-behind strategy, which has seen it open operations in different parts of the country in the last few months with rapidity. The latest operations were opened in Gombe and Ibadan within a space of three days.
In a statement issued in Awka, the Anambra State capital recently, the government said it is “proud of the development record, the pan-African vision and commitment of the airline’s leadership, particularly its Chairman, Chief Allen Onyema, a worthy son of our great state.”
In the statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C. Don Adinuba, the government commended the carrier for an aggressive route development programme at a time airlines across the globe are managing to remain afloat as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which dealt a serious blow to not only the aviation sector, but also the entire tourism industry. “It is delightful, according to the Anambra State Sovernment, that while some airlines are acquiring refurbished aircraft, Air Peace “has been purchasing a large number of brand new state-of-the-art equipment and deploying them on Nigerian domestic routes for the safety and comfort of our people.
“The use of the Embraer 195 aircraft, known for an excellent safety record, is most welcome. What is more, we are delighted to hear from people like Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State that the Air Peace operation in Ibadan has resulted in the crash of air tarrifs in certain places, which is pleasant news to Nigerian travelers.”
The government asked other airlines to borrow a leaf from Air Peace by developing routes like Ibadan-Port Harcourt and Enugu-Kano to deepen national integration rather than continue with traditional flying from Abuja to Lagos and flying to other cities from these places.
“Chief Onyema’s commitment to national unity and economic integration is reminiscent of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s promotion of Nigeria’s unity and nationalism through journalism by establishing newspapers in places like Kano, Zaria, Lagos, Onitsha, Port Harcourt and others, as well as forging solid friendships with individuals and by building enduring alliances with different groups throughout the nation”.
Governor Willie Obiano, according to Commissioner Adinuba, had already called Chief Onyema on the phone to congratulate him on the route development programme which he described as capital intensive and time consuming, recalling how two aircraft from the Air Peace fleet flew into the Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport under construction on Friday, April 30, on demonstration flights.
“Governor Obiano also thanked the Air Peace Chairman for his support for working closely with the Anambra State Government to build a hangar at the state airport for the repair and maintenance of aircraft, revealing that the airport will be commissioned soon.”
He added, “We are also delighted that Air Peace is working hard to see if the Embraer aviation company of Brazil can establish its African service centre in the state.”
About the Author
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
